Kheer.

So you all know I am a sentimental fool, don’t u?

I cook food that I love..I cook food that excites me..I cook from my memories..I cook with love.

One such gem of a memory is of my grandma’s kheer…There is really nothing that beats the love of your nani or dadi..the affection, the pampering, the late night stories..sleeping on her lap..her scoldings which I always laughed off by pulling her cheeks..the love with which she combed my hair..her concern if I got hurt… or the protective way she sat watch as I played in the evenings,her absolute pride and joy at seeing my dance performances.. these things haunt me even today…

It was one such evening of intense nostalgia that made me get off the couch and make this…there is no real recipe to it..I never really measure my ingredients..I always go by feel and have never even gotten the salt off,ever.So, recipe will be posted once I manage to get some time… For now,I hope the pics and the dinner story will do..

Love,

S

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

Small grained rice (Basmati won’t do,sorry) -1/4 cup

Full fat milk 1.5L

Sugar 8-10 Tbsp (We are a family of ants, and we like it sweet, so adjust as per taste)

Condensed Milk 2 tbsp

Green Cardamom 4 (use only the seeds

For Garnishing:

Ghee/ Clarified butter 1 tsp

Raisins or Sultanas – handful

Cashews – 8-10 pieces

Pistachios – handful

Almond Flakes – handful

Saffron strands – 6-7

Rose Petals (optional)

Method:

Clean the rice thoroughly and set it aside soaking in water for 30 mins.

Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan. Make sure its a heavy bottomed deep pan.. Mine is the typical milk boiling pans with a copper bottom.

Once the milk has boiled, add the crushed cardamom seeds to it.

Next add the washed and drained rice to the milk and give it a stir.

Leave this on a low flame for about an hour..remembering to keep stirring every once in a while.

While stirring make sure you do it from the bottom and the sides as well.

After about an hour, the milk would have begun to thicken and the rice cooked…

Now add the sugar..and stir really well.

Add the condensed milk and stir again…

Leave it on for another 30 minutes till it reaches a creamy consistency..

Taste for sweetness..

Garnish and serve hot, at room temperature or cold.. Its delicious in every way.

For garnish:

Lightly fry the raisins and cashews in the ghee or clarified butter, separately. Raisins take no time and cashews will take some time. Don’t fry them together or you will end up with burnt raisins.

Garnish the kheer with whatever dryfruits you like…add the saffron and rose petals..mix and serve.